A Word about Welfare

There is a lot going on during the annual PA budgeting triathlon, and while there certainly are bigger issues at stake semantics are important.

 

Semantics

Discussion on a certain word is warranted by the derisive attitude to which it is referred. The word I am talking about is Welfare, and the action which spurs this diatribe is the PA House Rules Committee, led by Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny), changing the Department of of Public Welfare name to the Department of Human Services.

While the new name is not, not befitting the role and mission of the department in question the change from the old one is only further proof of Republican victory in a messaging war which has been ongoing for decades.

 

What Does Welfare Mean?

I am no etymologist but the accepted definition of the word welfare is: the state of doing well especially in respect to good fortune, happiness, well-being, or prosperity. This does not seem then like any other dirty words. You would not know it though given the reception the word receives from Republicans. 

 

What Good is a War of Words Really? 

A messaging victory on this does have implications. To change the name  sends the message that we accept Welfare is in fact a "bad word". It is a word we don't want our government to have a part in.
Why would we want our government to have a hand in helping its citizens achieve a state of doing well especially in respect to good fortune, happiness, well-being, or prosperity anyway?

If we take the changing of the name to based on the word's meaning as it applies to government assistance, then this is too problematic. The changing of the word then means that we do not believe that government should be assisting people, and that the distribution of that assistance is shameful.

Both predicaments are unfortunate results of a failure by Democrats or anyone who feels there is a deserving poor, or that government has a role in the direct development of prosperity, to speak out.
Next time someone casually uses the term welfare in a negative context remind them of what they are really saying. This is all it takes to turn the tides in the messaging war.

Potential

It will be the goal of this branch of the young Dems, like any other to promote the candidates of the Democratic party. As we discussed at our first meeting though it is also our hope to be a force for organizing in the county. 

As of 2011 there were 78,765 registered Democrats and 71,660 registered Republicans. Today there is a comparison of 79,000 Dems to 71,000 GOPers. In the May primaries though there was 22.5% turnout amongst Dems and 25.1% among Republicans.

It is not atypical for Republicans to be more active in off year voting, but with Democratic voters concentrated in the city and boroughs, Dems who work at it can get way more bang for their buck when getting organized; Density is our ally. 

The election of county commissioners and executives as well as state lawmakers who are not favorable to the positions of those who care about society's most vulnerable, our environment, and organized labor (when the two can get along) sets where we live just as far back as a Republican President. 

It is not surprising that Republicans dominate the townships, but there is no reason why Dems should not strongly contest every wider race there is, and the only way to do so is to get organized.